Soldiers’ stories show meaning behind Memorial Day
A look at the week that was, the issues and people who made headlines, and a few darts and laurels for those who deserve them.
LAUREL: To the legacy of Marine PFC Robert Schatzman of Ridley and Army 1st Lt. Ted Burton of Springfield. Both men were killed in action in Vietnam. Schatzman was 17; Burton 22. Their sense of service and sacrifice is the essence of Memorial Day.
DART: To those who merely went about their way, celebrating the
“unofficial” start of summer. The day is much more than that. It’s not about having a three-day weekend, it’s not about car sales, and it’s not about barbecues. It’s about the sacrifices made by men such as Schatzman and Burton, sacrifices that make all those freedoms possible.
LAUREL: To the city of Chester. They’re getting a three-year extension as they continue their slow ascent to get out of “distressed” city status.
LAUREL: To Lansdowne. This tiny borough on the eastern edge of the county continues its impressive renaissance, fueled in part by a rebirth of the arts. This weekend they are holding a festival to celebrate the borough’s rejuvenated status.
DART: To the continued rumblings that the city could use the proceeds of a sale of the Chester Water Authority as part of the cure to its fiscal ills. While this might solve the city’s problems, at least in part, it is not going to sit well with most of the customers of Chester Water, the majority of whom do not reside in the city.
LAUREL: To Michelle Roberson. She is keeping the spirit and legacy of her daughter alive. This week they dedicated a bench in honor of Bianca Roberson at her alma mater, Rustin High School in West Chester. Bianca was killed in what police describe as a fatal road-rage shooting.
DART: To how quickly a young, promising life can be snuffed out. Bianca Roberson was about to depart for to start her college career. Now her family and friends
have only their memories. A Delaware County man faces trial in the shooting.
LAUREL: To Southeast Delco School District and Superintendent Stephen Butz. They apparently have put aside months of wrangling over a new contract and agreed on a new, three-year deal. The district had put the kibosh on an earlier five-year deal with the super. He has consistently indicated he wanted to stay in the district.
DART: To Roseanne Barr. The comic tweeted a racist, hateful message about a former aide to President Obama. It shows just how far the country still needs to go in terms of race relations.
DART: And likewise to comic Samantha Bee. On her “Full Frontal” TBS show, she made a vulgar reference to Ivanka Trump, daughter of the president. Bee wanted to press Ivanka to use her position to try to influence the president’s position on immigration. But she clearly crossed the line with her crude reference.
DART: How low are our public standards going when people clearly think it’s OK to offer these kinds of ugly public utterances? Yes, we are living in an increasingly coarse society. wAnd it seems to get worse every day.
LAUREL: To ABC, which quickly announced it was cancelling Barr’s top-rated show. Then again, the network should have known what they were getting themselves into with the controversial comic. This was not her first trip down this road.
LAUREL: To U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Brown. The Concord native and graduate of Salesianum has done it all in his 20 years of service to the country. Following his time at West Point, he completed Ranger School did tours in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. He also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as part of a group of offices sent annually to study government policy. He’s currently preparing for a move to U.S. Army Central in South Carolina.
LAUREL: To the 14 graduates of the Delaware County Community College Paramedic Life Support Program. They are the latest additions to this crucial community service. Well done.
LAUREL: To the return of the Sounds of the Season. Yep, it’s time once again for one of the best events of the summer. The Delaware County Summer Festival kicks off at Rose Tree Park in Upper Providence on June 13. Best of all – it’s free.
LAUREL: To John Kane. The union lead and one-time political candidate is mounting a challenge to county Democratic Party leader David Landau. We are not endorsing one candidate over the other. But we offer a big thumbs up to all those interested in invigorating the process. As the turnout in the last elections proves, it needs all the help it can get.
LAUREL: To Stephanie Farmer. She’s the assistant principal at Tinicum School. Farmer has been named Assistant Principal of Pennsylvania for 2018 by the Pennsylvania Principals Association. She’s now in the running to become National Assistant Principal of the Year.
LAUREL: To the Phillies. Boosted by very strong starting pitching, the Phils continue to surprise under first-year skipper Gabe Kaplan. They look like they are going to make this a very interesting summer.
DART: To Bryan Colangelo. The Sixers president and GM finds himself under fire after a report that he was using several “burner” Twitter accounts to criticize his own players, as well as others connected to the NBA. Colangelo denies the report. The team says it has now launched its own investigation.